Music
Mixed Messages
Posted 2:15pm Sunday 29th July 2012 by Ally Embleton

Have you ever made a mixtape? Like, a real one? Maybe you sat eagerly by the stereo, waiting for your song to play, winding the take-up reel on the cassette by hand so you could get that perfect transition timing. Or sat in a locked bedroom with your friends playing a “borrowed” tape/CD from a Read more...
Home Brew
Posted 10:46am Sunday 22nd July 2012 by Tom Tremewan

"Shot to our olds for bringing us into existence, Avondale and Otahuhu for raising us, our girls for loving us even when it’s not dole day, the bros for helping us not kill ourselves on those Sunday mornings and you cunts for buying this bullshit. Fuck the Prime Minister. Fuck the law force. Fuck Read more...
Sexuality In Music
Posted 5:14pm Sunday 15th July 2012 by Isaac McFarlane

Whoever you are, wherever you are . . I’m starting to think we’re a lot alike. Human beings spinning on blackness. All wanting to be seen, touched, heard, paid attention to.” When I think of Odd Future, I think of #swag, chants of “free earl” (I think it worked?) and some more swag, never enough Read more...
Oh, Hey there
Posted 5:13pm Sunday 8th July 2012 by Isaac McFarlane

Hello. My name is Isaac. I am the new Critic Music editor. I like cheese and crackers, Mario Ballotelli, jelly tip ice creams, the customer service at the Link dairy, and BYO Japanese. And I love music. Well, most types of music anyway. I probably won’t be writing about freeform jazz or country Read more...
Post-Progressive Instrumental Dunedin Shoegaze
Posted 8:39pm Sunday 3rd June 2012 by Lukas Clark-Memler

What better way to finish up New Zealand Music Month than the grand final of the OUSA Battle of the Bands. With so much talent on show, and the extreme diversity of the line-up, from ska-punk to metal to “dance music for the insane”, the judges must have had a hell of a time crowning a victor. While Read more...
Midgets, Rap Music & Meth
Posted 7:40pm Sunday 27th May 2012 by Lukas Clark-Memler

Some cities are synonymous with a musical movement. Seattle and grunge are as inseparable as Cobain and angst. Country music would hardly exist without Nashville, or at least it would be a hell of a lot less profitable. And some would argue that rap music came ‘straight outta Compton’ (see what I Read more...
Fabulous
Posted 7:58pm Sunday 20th May 2012 by Lauren Wootton

We’re all familiar with the rhythmic reggae dub that has sound-tracked many a Kiwi summer, known as The Black Seeds. It’s been four years since their last album and their latest release – Dust and Dirt – is a wee bit different while still being completely the same. With a slight emphasis Read more...
On the removal of my toenail and the music that helped me get through it
Posted 7:08pm Sunday 13th May 2012 by Lukas Clark-Memler
Last week I had my toenail removed. What started out as an ordinary ingrown nail became infected and pus-filled until my entire toe turned a disturbing shade of mauve and swelled to a rather inconvenient size. This condition made wearing shoes difficult and, since Dunedin is pretty cold this time of Read more...
Dub FX
Posted 12:51am Monday 7th May 2012 by Lauren Wootton

“Fat beats, dirty bass lines, rap vocals and melodic vocal lines too. And I put it all together with loops. I’m multi genre.” Ben Stanford’s description of his sound sums it up in a few short adjectives; he has something for everyone. The DJ better known as Dub FX’s unique style started off Read more...
5 People to Watch Out for in 2012
Posted 12:51am Monday 7th May 2012 by Lauren Wootton

New Zealand Music Month is upon us and Isaac and I thought it was about time we made some predictions. We’ve compiled a wee list of some New Zealand artists/bands we think are going to make it big in 2012 (whether nationally or internationally), and if you haven’t heard of them already, you will Read more...